{"id":13997,"date":"2021-08-13T09:02:18","date_gmt":"2021-08-13T08:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=13997"},"modified":"2023-05-12T13:32:07","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T12:32:07","slug":"altilium-supplying-sustainable-nickel-for-the-revolution-of-electric-vehicles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/altilium-supplying-sustainable-nickel-for-the-revolution-of-electric-vehicles\/13997\/","title":{"rendered":"Altilium: Supplying sustainable nickel for the revolution of electric vehicles"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the nickel industry faces unprecedent demand due to the increasing popularity of electric vehicles, Altilium<\/a> have created a process that generates high levels of nickel with minimal environmental impact.<\/h2>\n

The world needs more nickel; however, it is not necessarily the nickel produced by pyrometallurgical (pyromet) processes that is needed, but the type of nickel delivered through the chemical process of hydrometallurgy (hydromet). Due to nickel\u2019s essential role in the production of batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs), the demand for this type of Class 1 nickel is expected to grow significantly each year as the production of electric vehicles also increases. The problem which must be solved, therefore, is where that nickel will come from.<\/p>\n

Metallurgical processes<\/h3>\n

Smelters, the plants which operate pyrometallurgical processes, are plentiful and are ideal for the production of nickel for the stainless-steel industry and some companies have even announced their intention to convert a product generated by smelters into a battery metal product. However, the environmental cost, at least in terms of CO2<\/sub> generation, negates what is sought to be achieved by the electric vehicle revolution.<\/p>\n

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Source: World Bank, 2019<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hydrometallurgical plants, on the other hand, use acid to dissolve the metals contained in the ore and generally produce a compound, known as MHP \u2013 mixed hydroxide precipitate \u2013 which can be chemically converted into the sulphates needed by electric vehicle battery manufacturers. When it comes to hydromet, as it is often called, some processes are more efficient than others and some are simpler to operate than others. This is where serendipity comes into play.<\/p>\n

With global pressure to make the move to electric vehicles, automakers and metallurgists around the world are struggling to identify sources of nickel that meet their ESG (Environmental, Social & Corporate Governance) standards and which can be obtained at a price low enough to allow the much-needed mass adoption of electric vehicles. As noted in an article by McKinsey last September: \u2018In general, three main aspects will be considered important by electric vehicle OEMs: the ability to provide nickel that is clean, Class 1, and easily accessible.\u20191<\/sup><\/p>\n

Electric vehicles: Solve one problem, create another<\/h3>\n

In our haste to fuel a green revolution, we risk harming the very environment we are seeking to protect. When it comes to mining and processing it really is a question of the greater good or the lesser evil. Both are necessary: the greater good dictates that trees may be cut down, people may be relocated, holes will be dug, and residue will be created; because the adoption of electric vehicles will significantly reduce our carbon emissions and contribute to the arresting of anthropogenic global warming. The challenge which faces us all is how we obtain the materials we need to advance humanity whilst minimising the impact on human health and our environment. The International Council on Mining and Metals\u2019 guidelines for responsibly mining ore, which include guidance such as how to support local communities and how to reduce environmental impact, are readily available and understood. It just takes the commitment needed to implement them.<\/p>\n

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\u00a9 iStock\/Patiwit<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When it comes to the extraction of the contained metals in that ore, however, more nuances come into play. Pyromet technologies produce copious amounts of inert slag, which is generally shaped and contoured to form hillsides. In the hydromet world, things are a little more complex. There is one well-known technology called high pressure acid leaching (HPAL) which is presently the most common hydromet process. Although it is quite effective at extracting nickel and cobalt, mainly from limonitic ore, it does produce acid-rich tailings which require neutralisation with limestone and then further containment, or disposal of those tailings is required. For each tonne of ore processed, the tailings constitute around one and a half tonnes because of the addition of limestone. What is more, the process uses sulphuric acid, operates within an autoclave which creates the high-pressure environment, and operates at high temperatures. It works \u2013 but it cannot process all of the laterite ore, it cannot extract all of the available metals, and the tailings it produces create an environmental threat which must be addressed.<\/p>\n

It is possible to manage those tailings in a more environmentally friendly way, but to do so means building a special facility \u2013 adding another $1bn plus to the price-tag of an HPAL plant on top of the billions spent building the plant in the first place. Unfortunately, HPAL tailings are problematic and, as noted in the aforementioned McKinsey article, \u2018…can contain heavy metals and iron hydroxides.\u2019 A better process needs to be developed.<\/p>\n

A brief geology lesson<\/h3>\n

Nickel laterites make up around 70% of the world\u2019s nickel resources, with sulphide ores making up the remainder.<\/p>\n

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Laterite profile analysis and associated extraction methods<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Laterite ore is comprised of limonite in the upper portion and saprolite in the lower. There may also be a transition zone between the two which has different mineralogy. The limonite has low magnesia and high iron but contains the lower grades of nickel and most of the cobalt. This ore feeds the HPAL process plants. The saprolite contains the higher nickel and some of the cobalt but also has magnesium which is a \u2018poison\u2019 to the HPAL process because it sucks up acid.<\/p>\n

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The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) pilot plant in Perth, Western Australia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The apparently illogical way the nickel industry has developed over decades is that pyromet processes largely use the more valuable saprolite but only for the iron and nickel, whereas HPAL largely uses the lower value limonite but only for the nickel, cobalt and, in some cases, scandium.<\/p>\n

The industry needs a process which will extract all the metals from all the ore in one plant; a process that will utilise the complementary nature of limonite and saprolite, where the magnesium acts as the bearer for the acid, enabling it to be recovered once its work is done, thereby making the process more sustainable and environmentally friendly.<\/p>\n

The most sustainable solution may be the most profitable<\/h3>\n

A hydromet process which treats the entire laterite ore body, extracts all of the metals contained within that ore, and which does not produce a residue requiring permanent containment sounds perfect but is it realistic? Why are we wasting the iron, magnesium, aluminium, scandium, and rare earth elements which are contained in nickel laterites by using just pyromet or hydromet processes? As we strive to make better use of the Earth\u2019s limited resources whilst minimising our impact on the planet, we need an efficient, elegant chemical process that does all of this without leaving a legacy which threatens human health and the environment.<\/p>\n

The solution to the problem is found in Altilium\u2019s DNi Process\u2122. It is the most sustainable method of delivering nickel and cobalt, in the form of MHP, to the electric vehicle battery industry. In fact, it is the only sustainable method and here is why:<\/p>\n